Introducing Student Services, the Registrar, and Financial Services | May 27, 2025

Hello Parents and Families, 

This week, we're taking you (and your students) on a tour of Student Services, including the Registrar and Student Financial Services (the Bursar and Financial Aid), and answering some of your frequently asked questions.

Student Services is your first point of contact for questions for the Registrar, Bursar, Financial Aid, Residential Life and Learning, and Orientation. 

Visit the Student Services web page to learn more about how they can assist you.

You can email Student Services at studentservices@tufts.edu or call 617-627-2000 during business hours (Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET). When you are on campus, you can visit Student Services on the 7th floor of Dowling Hall. Please note they've temporarily relocated to Braker Hall this summer and have summer hours. 

The Registrar is a key office in Student Services. The team retains and manages your student's academic records, including their transcript. They facilitate many common transactions related to course registration, major declaration, grading, and enrollment. 

Explore the Registrar’s office web page to learn about all of their services.

One of the Registrar’s many responsibilities is to protect the privacy of your student's education records and the other rights they have to access and amend those records, which are outlined in a federal law called the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA.

FERPA guarantees your student access to their education records and limits and/or prevents disclosure of those records to third parties. The Registrar also provides a mechanism for students to put in place a Privacy Block, which limits the University's ability to disclose their Directory information to third parties.

Your student can choose to provide you with Invited Viewer Access to see their academic record, pay tuition and fees, and/or waive the University's health insurance if applicable. Students can provide "Invited Viewer" access via their Student Information (SIS) portal, which allows them to grant access to both Bills and Balances and the Health Insurance Waiver.

Student Financial Services consists of the Bursar and Financial Aid offices. The Bursar's Office will issue your student an eBill each semester via their SIS portal. They will receive the fall statement in early July (due in early August) and the spring statement in early November (due in early December). If your student has added you as an "Invited Viewer," you will also receive notifications.

The Financial Aid Office provides numerous resources for students and families, including our web page for admitted students. We also have prepared answers to frequently asked questions. 

How do I view and/or Pay My Student's eBill? 

Students should begin looking for their eBill statement through their Student Information/SIS portal in the first week of July. Preliminary versions of their eBill may also be viewable in their SIS portal; however, their eBill will not be finalized until tuition and any applicable room and board charges are added, and any aid awards or other adjustments have been made.

Your student can view and/or pay their eBill, by selecting Bills & Balances in SIS, then My eBill or Make a Payment. To view and/or pay your student's eBill, your student must provide you with Invited Viewer Access. Once added as an Invited Viewer in your student's SIS portal, you will receive an email with directions. 

We offer a number of different options for paying the eBill. You can review the payment plan options online on the Bursar's web page.

How do I request a refund?

Your student may request a refund from their student account when a valid credit balance exists due to overpayment. We issue refunds electronically through BankMobile. You can review our refund policies as well as learn about the refund process including how to set up an electronic preference on the Financial Services web page. Please note that the option to set up a refund preference with BankMobile will be available for students beginning mid-July.

Register and submit any questions in advance for upcoming webinars:

Wednesday, June 4, 7 p.m. ET – Welcome to Tufts (This webinar is for parents and families only; your student has been invited to a webinar just for them on June 3.)

Welcome to Your Academic Experience webinar with your student's Advising Dean and Senior Academic Advisors for their degree program. Parents and families are welcome! 

Wednesday, June 18, 9 a.m. ET – Introduction to the International Center
This session provides important information for incoming international students and their parents and families.

Orientation communications, including recorded webinars, are archived on the Orientation website.  

New students who choose to participate in an optional Pre-Orientation program will arrive and move in on Friday, August 22. Students not participating in a Pre-Orientation program should plan to arrive on Wednesday, August 27. Undergraduate Orientation is mandatory for all new students, including new transfer students. A one-time Orientation fee of $500 is due May 31 and can be paid in your student's application portal. 

On the August 22 and 27 move-in dates, there will be programming for parents and families from 3:30–5:30 p.m. Parents and families are also welcome to campus on August 28 for the annual Matriculation Ceremony at 10 a.m. The ceremony will also be livestreamed.

Following are some of the items we've shared via Orientation emails to date. These will be included on your student's New Student Checklist, which will open in their portal starting June 2 and will help them keep track of their responsibilities that need to be completed over the summer.

Please contact Student Services at 617-627-2000, StudentServices@tufts.edu or the Family Engagement contact Carole McFall at carole.mcfall@tufts.edu.

Family Engagementt